[Mother's Day] Over half of Gen Z contacts mothers 'almost daily', approx. 20% connected on Instagram? Survey on Gen Z's awareness of mothers conducted

Boku to Watashi to Inc., which conducts planning and 'Emo-marketing®' for Generation Z, conducted an awareness survey regarding 'mothers' targeting 500 Generation Z individuals who have mothers.

May 10th is Mother's Day, but what kind of presence are mothers to Gen Z? We clarified the reality of the mother-child relationship unique to Gen Z by analyzing the frequency of daily communication, consultation topics, connections on SNS, and impressions of mothers from perspectives such as gender and cohabitation status.

View the survey at 'Zview lab.®'

Summary

- Mothers are a 'supportive presence'. The 'friend-like presence' stands out among women and those living apart.
- Gen Z contacts mothers frequently. About 80% contact them at least once a week, and over half 'almost daily'.
- Top consultation topics for Gen Z to mothers are 'daily life', 'health/mental', and 'career paths'. About 40% of men answered 'do not consult'.
- Tendency for relationships to improve triggered by living apart. Compared to childhood, about 90% have 'maintained or improved' the relationship.
- LINE is the mainstream SNS to connect with mothers. Instagram and X also seem to be used to grasp current status.
- Gen Z's image of a mother is a 'worrying mom'. Gender gap exists with women seeing a 'friend mom' and men a 'frugal mom'.

Mothers are a 'supportive presence'. The 'friend-like presence' stands out among women and those living apart

First, we asked all respondents 'what kind of presence is your mother'. As a result, 'supportive presence (30.4%)' was the most common, followed by 'normal presence as family (20.2%)' and 'respected presence as a parent (20.0%)' at almost the same level, each accounting for about 20%.

Looking by attributes, 'friend-like presence' was 25.5% among women and those living apart from their mothers, more than 10% higher than the overall average (14.8%), standing out compared to other groups. By having physical distance, there is a tendency to perceive the relationship as more equal.

On the other hand, for men, the proportions of 'respected presence as a parent' and 'normal presence as family' were relatively high, showing a tendency to be more conscious of the parental aspect compared to women.

Gen Z contacts mothers frequently. About 80% contact them at least once a week, and over half 'almost daily'

Next, when asked about the frequency of communication with their mothers, 77.0% of the total contact their mothers at least once a week, and among them, 54.4% answered 'almost daily', exceeding half.

Looking by attributes, those living together showed a high frequency of communication for both men and women. On the other hand, for those living apart, 62.8% of women answered 'almost daily' or 'a few times a week', whereas for men it was 43.6%, which is less than half.

Particularly among men living apart, 'a few times a month (30.7%)' was the most common, and 'less than that (25.7%)' also accounted for a certain number, revealing that their communication frequency with their mothers is lower compared to other groups.

Top consultation topics for Gen Z to mothers are 'daily life', 'health/mental', and 'career paths'. About 40% of men answered 'do not consult'

It was found that Gen Z has a high tendency to communicate closely with their mothers, but what are they actually consulting about?

Looking at the total respondents, 'daily life matters (42.6%)' such as cooking and chores was the most common. This was followed by 'health/mental (35.2%)', 'career paths (35.0%)', and 'human relationships (33.2%)', indicating that they communicate with their mothers about a wide range of topics from daily life to their future.

Looking by attributes, women have a higher rate of consulting their mothers, with about 80% revealing they consult their mothers about something. This tendency is especially strong among women living with their mothers, with 'health/mental', 'human relationships', and 'hobbies/likes' being more than 10% higher compared to women living apart.

On the other hand, nearly 40% of men, regardless of cohabitation status, answered 'nothing to consult about', showing a lower consultation frequency compared to women. Also, comparing cohabitation status, 'career paths', 'human relationships', and 'hobbies/likes' were more than 10% higher for those living together, suggesting that being physically close makes it easier to consult.

Tendency for relationships to improve triggered by living apart. Compared to childhood, about 90% have 'maintained or improved' the relationship

Next, we look at the changes in the current relationship with the mother compared to childhood. About 40% answered that they 'get along better than before', and combined with 'not much change (48.0%)', about 90% have maintained or improved their relationship compared to childhood.

By attributes, both men and women living apart had a higher rate of answering 'got along better', suggesting a tendency to re-evaluate the presence and appreciation of the mother by keeping a distance.

LINE is the mainstream SNS to connect with mothers. Instagram used for grasping current status.